


Together At Last

by Lydia_E_Nheers



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Heaven, M/M, Martin Whump, Martin is an old man, Post-Canon, Suicide, marlas, meeting again after death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-10
Updated: 2015-03-10
Packaged: 2018-03-17 04:41:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3515720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lydia_E_Nheers/pseuds/Lydia_E_Nheers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Martin is an old man now. He's now older than Douglas ever was. He's old and tired. He decides that his time on Earth is over and takes his end into his own hands. But death is not the end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Together At Last

**Author's Note:**

> Okay. I hit the angst button a lot on this one. But there's a happy ending. But there is suicide in this. Please, please, please don't read it if it triggers you. 
> 
> Post canon, but basically as if Zurich never happened. Basically, Martin remains captain and Douglas stays first officer. But OJS remains the same.
> 
> Not beta'd Or britpicked. I hope you enjoy it. :)

It was cold. The wind whipped across the grass, hitting Martin's face and he bowed his head against it. His eyes stung with the wind and he smiled; shrugging further into hsis warm coat as he walked slowly. Who gets married in February anyway? 

He was old now. The once thick head of vibrant red hair was now wisps across his head, making his ears look larger than they were. His freckles were now liver spots and they decorated his hands which trembled all the time, as well as his the top of his head. One gloved hand grasped a cane and the other was thrust into his pocket. 

He arrived at his destination and slowly, lowered himself to his knees in front of the stone. "Hello, Douglas" he took off his gloves and reached out to touch the cold rock adorned with his husband's name. "Happy anniversary." 

He brushed away some of the dirt from the top. There was a fresh bouquet of daffodils and the stone had recently been cleaned. Verity's work.

"You think I forgot, didn't you? Of course you didn't. You know I'd never forget. What kind of sods were we for getting married in the middle of February?" He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small bar of chocolate. He didn't like chocolate very much, but Douglas always did. Every year on their anniversary, they split a piece of chocolate cake. That was after Douglas made Martin's absolute favourite meal, rack of lamb. He hadn't had that little part of their anniversary in far too long.

Martin opened the packet and took a bite. "I turned seventy nine last week." He said after chewing slowly. "But I'm sure you know that." He paused. "Everyone was there. Except you, of course. Verity and her wife Amanda and Emily and her husband Frank. Emily's boy Doug is growing up so fast. Sixteen years old, boisterous and demanding everyone's attention. Just like his namesake." He chuckled quietly. "He calls me 'granddad' you know. And he won't let anyone call him Dougie anymore. It's a pity you never got to meet him." 

Martin took another bite of chocolate and swallowed. He pocketed the rest of the chocolate bar. "I'm sorry I don't come out here more often." Martin only visted a few times a year now. Their anniversary, Douglas' birthday, the anniversary of his death and Christmas day. The hour long trip was just getting to be too much as he couldn't drive anymore. Far too many years of working like a demon finally caught up with him. He had chronic pain all over, arthritis and couldn't walk without a cane. His hands constantly shook, and now his eyesight was going and he depended on thick glasses. As it was, Emily had brought him, and would bring him home as she always did without question. She was waiting in the car, letting him take as long as he needed. 

Douglas' two daughters took care of him, making sure he had everything he needed, calling almost every day to check up on him and weekly visits. 

Douglas had begun the tradition of Sunday night dinners once he retired at the ripe old age of sixty five, and (after a colossal row because Douglas expressly put his foot down when Martin suggested he retire as well at forty five,) Martin would join him whenever he had the time off work, and both daughters and their spouses would join. 

The year Douglas passed away, Martin retired. Even though he had been flying without his husband for thirteen years, just knowing that Douglas would never even come to watch him take off again, or pick him up after landing, was just too painful for him. But he kept the Sunday tradition going, and still did. 

"I cannot believe you've been gone for twenty years now." He said, a disbelieving tone in his voice. "Twenty whole years without you, and I still can't believe just how lonely our bed is without you in it." He put his hand on the stone again. "The day you died, I was only fifty eight, and my heart went to sleep. But its okay. Douglas, there was no one else in the world for me. Twenty years married to you was worth these last twenty years without you. 

Martin took a breath and continued. "I know that I will not be coming back here again. Except for one more time." He looked at the empty space next to Douglas. On the left. Because Martin always sat on the left. "But I won't be leaving again. In fact, I know that I will be joining you very soon." He lightly traced over the etched name with his fingertips. "I'm an old man now. And frankly, I'm tired. I'm so tired now, all the time. And I miss you, you old sod." 

Using the cane, he gingerly pulled himself up into a standing position and bent down and kissed the stone. "I love you. And I will see you soon." 

Martin slowly turned and walked out of the cemetery, Emily getting up and opening his door for him. "Did you have a nice visit, Martin?" She asked, getting into the driver's seat. 

"Yes. It's nice getting a word in edgewise.' He always made that joke and it always made Emily smile. 

She drove him home and declined his offer to make lunch because she needed to get Doug from school. He hugged her and kissed her cheek, while she told him that they'd be there on Sunday for dinner. He smiled at that, and said "Goodbye. Tell Doug I love him." 

Emily looked at him a little oddly but smiled and said she would before giving him a kiss on the cheek that lasted fractionally longer than the others ever did and assured him she would before turning and going to her car. 

The night, after changing for bed, Martin made himself a sandwich for dinner. And a baked potato. He liked them even after moving in with Douglas. After doing the washing up, he phoned Verity and chatted with her for a few minutes. After telling her he loved her, he hung up and went into the sitting room. There was a photo album filled with photos of their wedding day. Mostly candids taken by Arthur.

He sat down in Douglas' chair and began looking through the book for the millionth time. God he was beautiful. There was one shot that Martin liked to look at often. It was taken of Douglas when he was looking over at Martin who was out of frame. His eyes were soft and wide and filled with so much love and adoration that even forty years later, Martin felt his heart swell with love for his late husband. The sun from the window hit his skin perfectly, making him look golden and young. Martin touched Douglas' face and closed his eyes, reliving that moment one last time. 

He took the photo out of the album and slipped it into his dressing gown pocket and put the album away. Then he slowly made his way up the stairs, feeling his hips and back ache. He went into the loo and opened the cabinet and retrieved his pill bottle. He pocketed the bottle and got a paper cup of water before padding through into the bedroom.

Martin sat on the edge of the left side of the bed and put everything down on the nightstand. He took his dressing gown off and laid it on the end of the bed as he always did. 

He then opened his pill bottle and shook out a handful of sleeping pills. They were high quality, potent pills that Martin had been on starting a month after Douglas' death. He couldn't sleep without him. And so he turned to chemicals. 

Martin regarded them for a long time. "I'm tired. Perhaps now I'll sleep. Goodnight. See you soon Douglas. I love you" he said out loud before quickly swallowing them and drinking the water as he did.

Almost immediately, he began to feel himself getting very, very tired. He calmly took the phone off the hook, and dialed 999. When the operator picked up, he simply said, voice beginning to slurr. "Hello. My name is Martin Crieff. And I would like to report a suicide." He put the phone on the nightstand and laid down. He could hear the dispatcher begging him to tell him where he lived and then that the ambulance would be on their way and to hold on and not go to sleep.

Martin ignored it and fumbled for the photo on the table, but he got it out and looked at it. "Oh Douglas...It will be so good to see you...." he felt his eyes growing heavy, but he looked at the photograph for as long as he could. He gently drifted off to sleep with the photo in his hand, and a smile on his face.

When Martin Crieff opened his eyes again, he was sitting up. He was disoriented, but quickly recognised his surroundings. "G-ERTI? What am I doing on G-ERTI?" He mumbled.

"I was wondering that myself." A warm, familiar voice said to his right. He turned his head. "Douglas?" He blinked rapidly. 

And Douglas it was. Looking every bit as young as he did when Martin married him forty years ago. He was dressed in his old first officer's uniform and wearing a sad smile. 

Martin also became immediately aware that for the first time in twenty years; he wasn't in any pain. His hips didn't hurt, nor did his knees or his back. His legs felt better and when he looked at his hands, they were as smooth and clear as they were all those years ago, and that tremor he had had for the last six years was gone. He touched his face. His glasses were gone, and when he touched his hair, he wrapped a finger around a thick red curl. "Am I dreaming?" He whispered.

"No." Douglas replied. "You succeeded" 

"Does that upset you?" Martin asked softly.

"A little. Granted, I did miss you with all of my heart. But I just wish you could have held on until it happened naturally." He shrugged in that very nonchalant way of his. "I think I'm saddest about leaving you for so long. I'm sorry, Martin" 

"I knew you would go before me when we got together." Martin replied. "I just didn't know it would hurt so much. It was like I died too. But I was still breathing. I'm not sorry for wanting to join you. I held out for twenty years because I knew you wanted me to go on. But Douglas...you are my other half. I just couldn't be incomplete anymore." 

"Oh you daft boy" Douglas said fondly and reached over for his hand. Martin grasped it tight, clutching it tight in both hands. It was warm and solid and all at once, Martin burst into tears of complete joy.

In an instant, Douglas was at his side and holding him tight. "I've waited twenty years to hold you again. God, I've missed you." His voice was low and musical and filled with love. Martin stood and hugged him tight. 

"I've missed you too" he whispered and tightened his hold as if Douglas was going to slip away. 

When they broke apart, swaying slightly on their feet, Martin cupped Douglas' cheek and kissed him. The same sparks that Martin had felt every single time they kissed from their first one right here on G-ERTI's flightdeck forty years ago to their last kiss just before Douglas' had his fatal heart attack twenty one years later, erupted right now and neither of them could get enough. They held on and snogged the hell out of each other. 

They broke apart after several minutes when Martin forgot they didn't need to breathe. Douglas gently pressed their foreheads together.

"What happens now?" Martin asked softly.

"We move on, I think." 

"You mean you haven't yet?"

"No. I've been here, waiting for you." 

"You've been here alone for twenty years?" Martin asked, sadly.

"Time has no meaning here." Douglas smiled and kissed his forehead. "I've only been waiting a little while. Carolyn joined me for awhile, while she waited for Herc. And then they waited for Arthur."

"Arthur died too young." Martin said softly. "He was only sixty and had a heart attack."

"But he died quickly and he was happy. Playing with his dog, Snoopadoop IV." Douglas pointed out. "And his family was waiting for him. They've all moved on now. But I couldn't. Not without you." 

"You daft old man" he smiled up at him fondly.

"You do realize, that you are technically older than I am, you know" Douglas raised an eyebrow. 

"Not anymore. I feel thirty again." 

"That's because we are all now the ages we were the happiest. And I was happiest in my years with you." 

"So was I." Martin linked their fingers together, looking at the contrast between Douglas' larger ones and his thinner ones. God...nothing in the world felt like this. Nothing had ever felt so damned right. And he had missed it so bloody much. 

"Martin..." Douglas breathed, looking behind them, at the doorway that usually separated the flightdeck and the cabin. "Look."

Martin felt it before he turned to look. This pulsing presence behind them. He was suddenly felt with the most unimaginable feeling of deep peace. He turned around and saw it.

It was a dazzling white light. It was warm and glowing, going on and on forever. Standing close to the edge were Carolyn and Herc. They were holding hands and smiling. Carolyn was saying something as she began waving at them, beckoning them in. Martin couldn't hear her, but her lips were yelling "In! In! In!" And Martin remembered her brisk, ordering tone. 

Arthur was standing behind them, leaping into the air excitedly, looking like his exuberant thirty year old self again. 'C'MON SKIP! C'MON DOUGLAS! BRILLIANT!!!' he was mouthing and waving. 

Martin looked up at Douglas and saw a single tear trailing down his cheek. He leaned up and kissed it away. "Ready?" He asked softly.

"I've been waiting...for so long" Douglas answered and smiled down at him. "Are you?"

"Yes. More than." He smiled back up at him. And Martin was ready. He was happy. Deeply and completely happy. And finally, finally he was at peace. 

Together, holding hands, Douglas and Martin stepped forward into the light. And as he felt the warmth embracing them, Martin heard Arthur's voice crying out as he, his mother and Herc all ran forward to meet them both in a crushing group embrace; "Brilliant!"


End file.
